Page 48 of Ruffled Feathers

I turned my face to kiss her fingers. “Anytime, sweetheart. Tomorrow, next year, forty years from now.”

Her laughter told me she didn’t think I was serious, but that was okay. I’d have time to prove to her I was dead serious. We lay there in silence for a bit, her fingers stroking through my hair, and my hand wrapped around her thigh.

I started to wonder if I could turn this moment into me eating her out on the couch.

She stiffened. At first, I thought I’d fucked up and said the inside words on the outside, but when I looked up at her face, she wasn’t looking at me at all. She was staring at the TV.

“Pass me the remote.”

I grabbed it from down beside the couch and passed it to her. She scrolled back the video, then paused the screen. I couldn’t see what had her rattled at all. The host of the show sat with one of the owners beside a barn. The man’s smiling face was warm, and whatever anecdote he was saying was making the owner laugh.

“Does that guy seem familiar?” Otillie asked, frowning.

I stared at the screen again. I mean, of course he looked familiar. The guy was basically a celebrity in South Carolina, with the reality TV program, and a vlog before that. His wholePack were celebrities now, from their Omega, Allegra, to their other Alpha, John, who was a retired college professor.

I tried to see what I was missing, but came up with nothing. “Anthony Smalls? I mean, yeah?”

She shook her head, sitting up. “No, behind him, carrying that bucket.”

I looked behind the interview, at all the workers bustling around, trying to make such a large rescue run smoothly. When I spotted it, I sucked in a breath.

The guy from the lineup. The one she hadn’t been able to place, with the red hair.

What were the chances that a worker from an animal rescue would also be at a cockfight?

Twenty-Five

Otillie-James

Two days later, I was still shaken by what I’d seen onAll Creatures Great and Smalls.The Smalls Pack were my idols; they took in all the animals that no one else wanted, from guinea pigs to draft horses.

I tried to tell myself it was a coincidence, and Strat had said he’d look into it, but still, I was off balance. It played on my mind constantly.

At least it was distracting me from the fact that my parents were coming back tomorrow, and I’d have to face them and their inevitable disapproval.

Lance was back at his house, and I missed him. Missed him being here, with Akio, a steady presence. Even though I was there every single day caring for the animals, it wasn’t the same as when he’d been here, listening to me blather on about the dogs at work, my dreams, the animals and all their damn problems.

I’d been selfish; I hadn’t asked whathisdreams were. I’d been so intent on his survival that I hadn’t taken care of his hopes.

Everything was so up in the air, and it was making my skin itch. I hated that we were so spread out, that I could godays without seeing Strat or Truett as they caught up on their caseload. My Omega wanted them close by. She wanted more.

Sonny appeared in the doorway of my room. “Hey, Tillie. You okay? You smell… distressed.”

Waving him in, I held out my arms. I was so glad he’d taken time off from the fire department, but eventually, he’d have to go back too. My Omega whined at the thought.

He held me closer, kissing the top of my head. “What’s wrong, baby?”

Shaking my head, embarrassed, I just buried my face in his chest. I couldn’t believe that my emotions were so out of control now. No, not out of control, just close to the surface. Apparently, there was no bottling up your emotions when you were an Omega—they were just out there on display for any designation with scent sympathy.

“My Omega is just being a whiny little bitch. I’m fine.”

He looked down at me. “She just doesn’t like being apart from her Pack, hey?”

My cheeks flushed. “No, she doesn’t, but that’s a little presumptuous of her, you know?”

Sonny pulled me across his lap, spreading my thighs over either side of his until we were nose to nose. “Not presumptuous at all, sweetheart. Have no doubt—you’re going to be mine. I’ll claim you right now, this very minute, if that’s what you want. You’re ours, Otillie-James Baler. We’re trying to be respectful. You’ve only been an Omega a week. What if there are other Alphas out there you want more?”

Snorting a laugh, I stared up at him, then realized he was serious. “There’s never been anyone else for me, you big idiot.” Then I thought of Strat. Of Lance. “You guys are mine too. I’m never going to change my mind about that. You and Truett are a part of my soul, and have been for so long. Will there ever be any other Alphas? I don’t know. But Strat…”

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